


The Song of Rain (G/T Amyplier)

by PlatonicSeptiplier



Series: Sides Stories [2]
Category: Video Blogging RPF, giant/tiny - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Amy Nelson - Freeform, Amyplier, Ethan Nestor - Freeform, G/T, Giant/Tiny, Mark Fischbach - Freeform, Peebles - Freeform, Probably fluff and angst, Sean McLoughlin - Freeform, Signe Hansen - Freeform, TINY - Freeform, Tyler Scheid - Freeform, giant, giant!markiplier, survivalofthefittest, tiny!peebles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2019-07-27 21:16:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16227482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlatonicSeptiplier/pseuds/PlatonicSeptiplier
Summary: In a world akin to Roadblock, humans are once again shadowed by the towering threat of giants; only this time, instead of a mad science experiment, chaos ensued after the birth of a perfect AI machine. The narrative follows Amy, a young doctor in training, and this is her story about how she met Mark- the only thing right side up in an upside down world.Novelette/Side storyContains: action, peril, and language





	1. In the Beginning of the End

Amy loved the rain. Who didn't? It was so relaxing to hear the rain drops patter the ground and fill the air with the fresh smell of water as it washed everything away. And she loved to be all curled up in warmth, snuggling her best friend as she listened to the gentle song of rain. Her source of warmth and comfort during these times was perfect for these sorts of situations: He was a giant, and his name was Mark.

Mark loved the rain too, for all the same reasons as his smaller but precious companion. Whenever they couldn't stargaze, he loved curling up at the back of their cave and snuggling her, with the both of them laying in a comfortable quietness as they listened together to nature's beautiful song. He was big and strong with powerful muscles and a frightening size, but Amy knew with all her heart that Mark was the sweetest and kindest person she had ever met. His soft raven hair was fluffy and incredibly worthy of petting, and his smooth tan skin shone from his time in the sunlight. Stubble stuck out along his jawline, and he wore a simple black shirt with old blue jeans stained by age. He didn't have any shoes, but he didn't seem to mind since he often washed them to keep up appearances.

But Amy's favorite part were his eyes. At a distance, they appeared to be a simple brown, but when one could get as close as Amy often did, she could stare into those deep and reflective eyes and see more than just plain brown. They were, initially, a warm and gentle brown, but gold softly ringed his pupils, and the edges of the irises faded to a black border. She couldn't count the time she'd lost gazing deep into those eyes, studying every fleck of color and tracing her own reflection in them. The coolest thing was seeing them change color; such as whenever Mark was sad, they would lose their luster and fade to a blander palette, almost monochromic; or, whenever he was angry or territorial, the gold would harden into an almost red tint, and his pupils would constrict into feline slits. That saying about the eyes being windows to the soul? Yes, Amy found it to be very true for her. His eyes were like a moodlet ring. She had plenty of other hints to tell her how Mark was feeling, but on a rainy day like this it was sometimes hard.

Why? Simple. Because he was sound asleep.

Amy opened her eyes and could hear that it was still raining despite her nice nap. She yawned and stretched a little, tilting her head to catch a glimpse of the forest outside. The mouth of the cave was dripping with water, and even though it was only the afternoon the forest was devoid of bright light. The leaves jingled in the storm, and branches shuddered under the dive-bombing droplets. There wasn't any wind to chill the air today, making it wet and humid with only a slight nippiness.

She lolled her head even more to look up at her friend and protector. He was sound asleep with both arms resting over his chest and embracing her gently. He was incredibly warm, and his arms were comforting. His huge, calloused hands that respected fragility were resting over her, and her head was resting right over his heart. Mark was mostly slouched on his back, but his head and shoulder were kinda squished against the curved side of the rock wall, which slanted Amy's world just a small bit. She was curled up safely in his arms, and she could feel his powerful heartbeat booming softly under her head. His pulse was soothing, as were the gentle rises and falls of his broad chest. She could even hear the gentle gurgles of his system as his stomach worked on the remainder of lunch, a delightful feast of berries which Amy too was still full from.

She sighed softly and let her head rest down again, and she closed her eyes to listen to the familiar noises for a little bit longer. She felt at peace, like nothing was wrong and everything was perfect... but she knew that wasn't completely true. A pang of sadness made her heart squeeze as Amy remembered the hardships that had brought them together. She'd been so afraid, and he so alone. It was hard to imagine that, only a month or two ago, they hadn't even known each other...

 

It all started when mankind's reign was eradicated. Evolution had run off the rails, and suddenly everything was more dangerous than men, including an AI android that had declared war on its creators and mankind. Cities were wiped out, electricity dead, fun and reasons to smile... all gone. Superpredators jumped to the top of the food chain, and humans suddenly found themselves near the very bottom. Their numbers dwindled rapidly out of the billions and then millions as the earth itself reverted to a past time where the wild ruled the world. And, by some chance, Amy found herself one of the lucky survivors. She knew it was never skill, that whatever god or overseeing forces that existed were taking pity on her for some unexplainable reason. Maybe they knew she would come across Mark and become best friends with a giant. Maybe they thought it wasn't her time to die yet.

Or maybe they just wanted to "lmao" at her pathetic efforts to prolong the inevitability of death.

Whatever the reason, Amy managed to find company to travel with for a while. They were the friendly sort, kind enough to let her stick around, share food and necessary supplied or whatnot. It was nice, and she made pretty good friends with them, until the day that set the dominoes in motion. She could still remember it with pristine detail: She had been sitting by the fireplace when one of the guys, an Irish bloke called Seán or Jack- Amy could never figure out which was correct, because Signe for some reason always called him Seán instead of the other name that literally everyone else used- had walked over to her while sharpening the end of an arrow.

"Hey Amy!" He called. She looked up as he asked, "Tyler and I are going hunting. We're gonna teach Signe how to hunt, ya wanna come with us?"

"Oh, uh, sure." She got up and wiped her hands nervously. Jack seemed to read her mind and flashed her a confident grin.

"Don't worry, we'll be back before long. There's gonna be a rainstorm soon, so we're just gunna get a little practice in for ye two." Amy nodded gratefully and followed him across their temporary camp. Signe and Tyler were already waiting at the edge, chatting with Ethan.

"Don't worry!" Ethan said rather proudly as they walked up, "No spoopy bandits gonna sneak up on us while you're gone!"

"That's the spirit," Tyler said halfheartedly. Amy smiled and waved hi to the optimistic young man, who grinned and waved back.

"Well don't be gone too long! It's gonna rain soon, but hopefully you catch something for dinner." And then he bounded off to go and check on the others. Tyler exhaled and turned to Jack.

"Got everything?" Jack nodded. "Good, then let's head out and hopefully beat that storm." The men led the way, while Amy gladly walked alongside Signe.

"I hope this won't be too hard," Signe told Amy. Amy shrugged.

"I don't think I could ever kill an animal, even if my life depended on it," she mused.

"Me too, but Seán said we have to do what we can to get by. It's horrible and sad, but that's how life is."

"I think I'll stick with tracking and medical emergencies." Amy grimaced. "Give me a broken shin any day." Signe giggled, and then they continued on in silence. Insects and birds buzzed and chirped cheerfully in the trees, and the leaves rustled pleasantly in a warm breeze. Signe caught up with Jack and chatted quietly for a bit, leaving Amy alone with her thoughts as she looked around. _It's so peaceful._  She took a deep breath and caught a whiff of rain on the wind.  _It's hard to believe we have to worry about death every second when the world is so beautiful now._ She lifted her chin and saw the lovely sky stretched above the leafy canopy. Clouds were brewing in the air, but it looked so clean and painted, like a picture too good to be true.

"Amy!" She snapped out of her thoughts and stumbled as Tyler yanked her behind a tree. She was about to ask why he had whispered her name when he clamped his hand over her mouth, and then she understood. She stayed silent as the cautious male peered past, and she caught a glimpse of Jack protectively holding Signe behind another tree.

The birds had stopped chirping as footsteps slowly rumbled the ground. They all held their breaths as they heard the shuffling being sniff the air and growl. Her pulse pounded in her head as she stayed deathly still, fearing that the giant might overhear her heartbeat. They all listened, waited, as they heard the soft breaths of lungs bigger than they, the suspicious sniffing that set any human's hair on end, and the soft growling of a humanistic beast. Seconds dragged on by what felt like minutes, hours, adrenaline coursing through their veins as they all waited, not daring to even breathe. Then, finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, the footsteps shuffled on, and they gradually faded. It wasn't until the birds started chirping again that they finally remembered to breathe.

"Coast's clear," Tyler murmured. He checked one more time and turned to Jack. "I thought you said there weren't any giants in this area?"

"There weren't." Jack shivered. "Maybe we outta turn back and go before they find us."

"We just need to be careful." He looked back at Amy. "Are you okay?" Amy nodded, feeling a wave of relief.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Don't be." Tyler unhooked his bow and resumed walking. Amy gave the ground a flustered glance and followed, feeling guilty that she had let her attention slip. She caught a sympathetic glance from Jack and heard him mutter, "Do ya really need to be so harsh, Tyler? Yer not the only one adjusting."

"She needs to learn to be more careful, otherwise she'll slow us down. Or worse, gets us all killed." Amy felt a stab of guilt. "When we wind up in a human stew, then you can ask me again," Tyler finished sharply, not looking back. Jack sighed and begrudgingly said no more. Amy rubbed her arm and studied the leaves at their feet.  _I'm such a nuisance._ Her eyes watered a little.  _Why did I agree to come? I can't hunt, all I can do is heal, not kill. What use is that here, if I don't have the heart to even catch my own supper?_

"It's okay Amy." Amy blinked and saw Signe smiling at her. "It helps to try to keep your eyes on the horizon when you're daydreaming," she offered, "I do it all the time."

"U-uh, thanks." They finally made it to an abandoned park that was their choice hunting grounds for the day. Tyler passed his bow to Signe and led her on, while Jack paused and turned to Amy.

"Here." He dug through his pocket before fishing out a small but very useful pocket knife. "In case any creepy crawlies try to hug ya." Amy's eyes widened.

"What? Me? I-I-"

"Don't say nuthin, just take it." He pushed it in her hand, and she managed not to drop it.

"Th-thanks." Jack nodded and turned to the others as Tyler examined Signe's form.

"Hold your arm a little more straight. Tuck your elbow in, and remember your breathing. Good, good. Now pull back just a little bit more, try to keep from shaking..." Amy turned the pocket knife over and examined it. She peered at the surface and saw her tired reflection squinting back at her.  _What am I good for?_  She wondered. _Tyler's such a great leader, Ethan always lifts everyone's spirits, Jack's such a jack of all trades, and even Signe can do more things than me. What's my point, my contribution to the group? I'm the only healer they've got, but I'm such a klutz._ She heard a woosh as an arrow suddenly cut through the air, and Amy flinched as a squirrel let out a squeal before flopping onto the ground lifeless.

"That's how you shoot." Tyler lowered the bow and handed it back to Signe. "Now you try on the other one. If you miss, that's okay. It takes a lot of experience."

"Shouldn't we start with unmoving targets?" Jack asked.

"We don't really have the materials to set that up," Tyler reminded him, "Besides, if she's successful then we'll be having a good supper tonight. Now come on Signe, just give it a try. Remember your breathing, good..." Amy sighed and was looking at the knife again when a drop suddenly dripped on the cool metal. She looked up and felt another hit her cheek, and her eyes got round.

"It's raining!" And then the heavens opened up and progressively unleashed a growing torrent of rain. Signe yelped and ducked behind Tyler, who blocked some of the rain as the wind began to pick up.

"Come on!" Jack was already running for the squirrel. Tyler nudged Signe in the right direction as they began to run. Amy was about to do the same when she realized she could feel tremors in the earth. And they weren't from the rain.

"JACK!!!" She shouted over the wind. Jack was turning around to give her a confused glance when a massive hand suddenly slammed beside him. A girlish yelp jumped his lips, and he dropped the squirrel and bolted toward Amy. Amy could only stagger back a couple of steps as she took in the immense silhouette. She could make out a red pair of glowing eyes as the hand felt the ground before picking up the limp body of the dead squirrel. She felt her stomach lurch as she watched it open its mouth and pop the tiny animal in with a single gulp.

"Amy come on!" Jack grabbed her hand and spun her in the right direction. As she stumbled after Jack, she felt a chill colder than the rain shoot down her spine as those hungry eyes turned on her. The ground began to shake again as the giant got up and followed after them.

"Jack!" Amy cried. Jack glanced over his shoulder and paled.

"Keep going!" It was hard to see in the deluge where they were going. Amy tried to shield her eyes to see better, but then her foot snagged on a gnarly root, and she suddenly hurled down and got a faceful of mud. She screamed in surprise, and Jack skidded in the mud as he turned to try and help her up.

"No, don't!" She yelled, "Run!" Jack hesitated, with both fear and guilt brimming in his eyes. "Go!!" She shouted. He finally turned away and ran into the foggy storm, and was swallowed up by the trees. Amy panted for a couple of seconds before she sat up and tried to move. She immediately cried out in pain. The root was wrapped around her ankle, making her foot twist at an unnatural angle. She frantically tugged at the stubborn tendril, feeling her breath get quicker as the booming thuds came closer.

"Come on, come on, come  _on_!" Her voice came out winded and panicky as she yanked on the root. Then she remembered Jack's knife and fumbled to get it out. Just as she managed to get the blade to slide open, a shadow fell over her small muddy figure. She froze and went completely still. Her fight or flight instinct screamed at her as thunder rumbled overhead, but she was helpless to do neither as a warm breath suddenly washed over her.

 _Don't move. Don't look._ Amy closed her eyes and held deathly still. The air around her jumped quite a few degrees as she felt the giant sniff her. She couldn't stop trembling as it moved closer, exhaling a powerful breath that emanated the smell of fructose. Her grip on the knife tightened. In the back of her mind, she knew she shouldn't have, but she couldn't help but let fear override her actions.

The next few seconds was a flash of action. She remembered swinging and hearing the giant roar as it jumped back, and she opened her eyes to see the looming figure clawing at its nose as it whined in pain. She gasped in horror at what she had done and tried to get up, but the root cruelly reminded her that she was stuck and not going anywhere. She cried in pain once more and fell to her hands and knees, up to her wrists in muddy water. Amy whimpered as she felt a sob swell up in her chest.  _I'm done for!_  Her lip curled back.  _You idiot, now it's gonna be mad and make your death even more miserable! Stupid, stupid, stupid...!_  She wasn't even aware that she had started crying, but before long she was bawling as she contemplated her miserable life. It went on for a while, self-pitying her stupidity and cursing herself, until she slowly realized that she still wasn't dead yet. She looked up, and was shocked by what she was met with.

The eyes were no longer a fierce red, but in fact a forlorn silvery brown. The giant had stopped trying to get the tiny knife that was embedded in the tip of his nose out, and was now gazing at Amy with some sort of emotion. She felt her crying falter as her confusion heightened.  _Why isn't it attacking me? I should be dead by now._ She watched as it tilted its head and blinked curiously. Anger bubbled in her stomach.

"What are you waiting for!?" She snapped, "Just end it already!" A flicker of surprise crossed the giant's eyes. Amy felt her anger vanish as fear overtook her once more, and she started crying again. She looked away from the giant, unable to bear staring death in the face any longer as she covered her eyes and shook with sobs. The rain continued to pour, soaking her in freezing water and mud, but she could barely feel the cold.

Then the air heated up again, and Amy froze as she felt something rub up against her back. She turned around sharply to see that the giant had leaned down and started nuzzling her, rubbing his cheek against her. Amy felt her breath hitch, not understanding. Was it performing some sort of pre-consumption routine? Did it not like its food covered in mud? Amy's mind ran through all kinds of awful ideas before she finally came to the uncertain conclusion that the giant was trying to comfort her. But that was impossible! ... right?

The giant suddenly shifted and moved back. Amy felt her breath catch in her throat again as the giant leaned over her and blocked the rain with his back, shielding her from the deluge. He was still on all fours, but now he sat back on his haunches and squared his shoulders to still cover her. His hands were planted firmly in the mud on either side of her. Amy sat there, dumbfounded under the hunching arch of the giant's spine. The healer couldn't believe what she was seeing, and her brain struggled to think up a rational explanation for why the giant hadn't killed her yet. At first, she denied the truth, but as the giant tilted his head to look at her upside down, Amy realized with a jolt that there was no aggression in his eyes. They were a soft brown now, kind and curious like a puppy's as he cocked his head and rumbled quietly.

The young woman looked down at the root wrapped around her foot and tugged on it. It still didn't give away, and Amy was about to give up any hopes of escaping when one of the giant's hands suddenly swooped down beside her. She flinched back as it came far too close for comfort, but then all it did was pick up the annoying tendril and easily snap it in half. Just like that, the root went limp and loosened its vicious grip. She was free. Amy stared at her foot for a few seconds and then rubbed her ankle. Her foot still throbbed with pain, but she could at least move it now. She sat up and slowly turned over, well aware of the giant's penetrating gaze as she slowly got up. She winced when applying pressure on her injury and staggered, missing the spike of alarm that flashed in those huge eyes.

"Ow!" Amy whimpered. She wobbled, trying to keep upright in the muck when two huge fingers and a massive thumb suddenly snaked around her waist and gently tightened. She froze for a second, and then she started panicking when the giant lifted his hand and pulled her up off her feet. "No!" She yelped. "No, no! Let me go!" Unsurprisingly, he ignored her pleas. He got up and wrapped her in a massive fist, holding his spare hand over her like a roof, and started striding off into the forest.


	2. Marked

The ride to the giant's cave was like a roller coaster; forces tugging on every which direction, surroundings whizzing by a blur of colors. By now the giant had secured Amy in a loose fist, ensuring that she couldn't wriggle her way out. The scariest thing about it though was that Amy couldn't even feel open air under her feet, and that the top of his hand encircled her shoulders. She was debating on whether it was because of her small height or the giant's gargantuan hands when he walked up to a gaping hole in the wall of a cliff and ducked inside. The temperature around them immediately dropped, and Amy shivered as her only source of warmth diminished, only coming from the gigantor's body heat. Her eyes struggled to adjust as he brought her away from the mouth of the cave and plodded all the way to the back wall.

Amy flinched as the giant sat down and shook his head, sending water flying in every direction. His hair was poofed up like a wild hedge when he stopped, and Amy felt a bubble of laughter tickle her. She couldn't help but giggle to release some tension, but she stopped when his eyes landed on her. She couldn't tear her gaze away as he held her closer, squinting in the darkness. His irises shimmered in the shadows, and his pupils were incredibly round as he snuffed softly. Amy swallowed, not sure what to do when she noticed something else gleaming in front of her: Jack's knife. The blade was deep in the skin, and the handle was far too small for the giant to pull out on his own. She realized his nose kept twitching and wrinkling, and Amy felt a stab of guilt as sharp as any blade. _I did that. Me... I hurt it._

She wriggled in the giant's fist and managed to get her arms free. She tried to reach out to take the knife for him, but his eyes hardened as he pulled his head back with a suspicious growl.

"I-It's okay." She held her hands out in a placate gesture. "I-I..." Her voice faltered when she remembered that she was staring face to face with a freaking giant. "I-I just wanna help you get that knife out," she stammered. He stared at her, the only sound beside the rain being his breathing, and then the snarl slowly dropped from his lips. He leaned forward again and brought Amy up to his face. She shuddered as his hot breath washed over him. She could feel it through his fingers, contradicting the cold cavern atmosphere and sending chills down her spine. She managed to focus on the glint of silver and took a nervous breath.  _Okay... here goes nothing._  She slowly reached out, alarmingly aware that the massive being was watching her. Her hand hovered before the tip of his nose, and then she closed her eyes before leaning the last few inches.

As soon her cold small hand touched warm skin, his nostrils twitched at her tiny touch. He huffed nervously, and Amy's lips quivered as she opened her eyes and gasped quietly.  _Oh my god. I'm touching a giant, I am actually touching a giant, holy crap!_ She felt her muscles relax as she looked up at the giant, and she was surprised to see that his eyes were almost completely closed. She slowly moved her hand up, and then downward, watching as his eyelids fluttered sleepily. She continued gently rubbing, but then she was startled when the air started rumbling.  _What the- is it... is that purring? Amy was astounded. Giants can purr? That's new!_  She was so shocked that her continual movement stopped, and the purring paused until she started petting his nose again. It resumed, and the giant's eyes closed completely, and his facial features relaxed and made him look sleepy.

Amy took a deep breath and put her other hand on the handle. "This is gonna hurt," she warned. His brow twitched and the purring subsided, the only indication that he had heard her. She took another breath, braced herself, and yanked.

Her whole world jerked violently as the giant bellowed in pain and made the walls echo with his roar. Amy was hardly aware of dropping the knife onto the ground far below, she could only remember covering her ears until he calmed down and started whimpering. She groaned and rubbed her ringing ears, and then she looked up to see tears welling in the giant's eyes. The only thing left of the incidence was a tiny cut across the very tip.

"Awww." Amy felt her doctor side take over again. "Are you crying because of your boo-boo?" He answered her with a whine as a huge tear dribbled down his long cheek. "Ohh... hey, come here. I think I've still got some ointment left in my pocket." Amy wriggled her hips to free up enough space to reach in her pocket. She managed to pull out an old tube of soothing medicine for scrapes and scratches. As the young lady fumbled with the lid, the giant leaned closer again and held still for her. She squeezed enough to fill her palm and smeared the goo across the cut. The first time he flinched away with a growl, but Amy found herself murmuring again as she coaxed him to come back.

"It's okay, it's alright. I know it hurts, but just a little bit more, alright? There we go..." She coated the minuscule slash in medicine until it was enough, and she leaned back with a nod of approval, and a hand covered in mud, blood, and ointment. "And there. Done." The giant blinked and sniffed curiously. "No, don't touch it!" She reprimanded when the giant started to lift his hand. He stopped and blinked at her, surprised that such a fierce tone had come from such a small creature. Amy was surprised too, but she found it easier to shove her fear away this time. "You need to give it some time to heal, then it'll be good as new," she explained. The giant tilted his head and rumbled, his eyes brightening to a soft gold. He seemed to understand.

Amy sighed in relief and relaxed. "Good." She took a deep breath and phrased her next words calmly. "Can you put me down so that I can wash up?" She asked slowly. She wasn't sure if asking nicely was going to work, even after that emotional roller coaster she had just undergone, but it was the best option she had. The giant rumbled and got up on all fours, with Amy held against his chest, and crawled the short distance to the entrance. It was still pouring outside, and as the sky growled and thundered Amy flinched a little.

"O-okay." It wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but it was better than nothing. She reached out and let the rain wash away all the yuck on her hands, and then to her surprise the giant suddenly tilted his hand and let his fingers uncurl. Amy yelped and found herself sitting precariously on a platform of flesh and bone, which she quickly adjusted on to keep from falling. She breathed in and tried to remember to keep calm, taking the opportunity to rinse the mud off of her. When she was done, she sat at the center of the giant's palm and hugged her knees, scared to go too close to the edge and risk falling. But then the young doctor noticed that the giant was doing something, and she risked leaning forward to see that he too was washing the mud off of himself. It gave her the heads up she needed seconds before he put his hands together and gently shook her onto his freshly clean hand, and then he finished up by washing the other.

Amy found herself looking the giant up and down, despite her reasonable fear of heights. This giant wore an old black shirt with jeans that had a lot of tears in them and stains that marked their age. He wore no shoes, but his feet were smaller than she expected. She looked around at the hand she was on. The skin was calloused with work and tire, tough but gently cupping her small frame. She hesitated before reaching out and running her fingers along his thumbpad, and she was amazed that she could feel the grooves of his fingerprint.

She then realized the giant had stopped moving and was watching her with a puzzled expression. "Oh, uh, sorry." Amy quickly pulled away, embarrassed.  _Wait, why am I talking to it like it understands me? He doesn't know better. Giants are all muscles and no brains. And yet... I think-_ Another rumble of thunder snapped Amy out of her thoughts, and she promptly flinched and hugged her cold self. She felt her platform move, and then a warm breath blew over her as the giant rumbled inquisitively. Amy fidgeted about being so close to the giant again, but her complex fears dropped to a primitive one when thunder suddenly boomed all around them, and a huge fork of lightning jumped across the sky. She yelped and covered her ears, bringing her legs tightly against her chest as she quivered. Another crackle ensued, and she held her eyes shut tightly, shaking.

She felt G forces sway her again, and she opened her eyes just in time to find herself being smothered against the giant's broad chest. At first, it was overwhelming; she thought she was going to fall, or suffocate, and she could hear a huge booming in her ear. Instead, she buried her face in the wall of fabric, shivering. The giant began purring again, cupping her with both hands as he drowned out the angry growls of thunder. His own booming heartbeat took over her attention; the sound that was thumping in her ear was the powerful muscle in charge of pumping gallons of blood.

Amy was amazed by the effect the giant had on her. She had found herself calming as his body heat warmed her; his actions were unbelievably human. How could a giant understand feelings well enough to hug, or to cry? These were things humans did, not bloodthirsty beasts. Nevertheless, Amy found her eyelids growing heavy despite her questions, and she slowly closed them as her fatigue overcame her.

 

 

 

 

It was morning when the birds began to sing their familiar songs. Water droplets dripped from leaf to leaf, splashing the soggy ground when they reached the end of their journey. The sun shined softly in the pale morning, shyly peeking through the trees for any survivors of the storm. No ray reached directly into the cave, but eventually Amy opened her eyes. At first, she looked on dimly, gazing at the fresh new world that sparkled outside the cave. She yawned and pivoted her head, trying to remember why she wasn't back at camp.

"Jack? Signe?" Her slumberous calls were answered only by the chirping birds. She tried to turn over and wondered why her blanket was so heavy. "Ethan? Tyler?" She sat up and was about to push whatever weight was on her off when she realized that it was a duvet of skin, flesh and bones. Amy gasped and pressed back, but the young healer realized that she wasn't in her sleeping bag. She looked up, and beyond the great stretch of black cloth was a sleeping face partially veiled by the shadows of the cavern; that of the giant's.

She was about to scream for help, but then she remembered what happened before she fell asleep.  _How long have I been out?_  Amy crawled out from under the immense hand with a great deal of effort, and she wobbled as she tried to stand up. The surface under her felt off, soft but sturdy. She shivered as a fear of heights took over, and she quickly climbed over his arm and tottered her way down from his waist. As soon as her feet left the unstable surface and landed on sturdy ground, she huffed with relief, trying to ignore the throbbing in her foot. She spotted the knife glinting in the darkness and walked across to pick it up.  _Now's my chance to escape!_  Amy realized. She sheathed the knife and walked on her toes, trying to keep her echoing steps as stifled as possible. She kept casting nervous glances at the giant, fearful that he would wake, but he slept on. As soon as she made it to the mouth of the cave, Amy darted behind the stone and caught the breath she'd been holding.

 _Made it!_ She risked a peek at the giant. He snored on. Now to get back to the others. She started off hurriedly, hoping they hadn't moved camp yet. The ground was damp and spongy under Amy's feet, and she picked her way through the forest and did her best to avoid the mud. She walked on and on as the sun rose behind clouds, determined to make it back to them.

It was midday when she finally found the abandoned park where it all happened, and she followed the path back towards the familiar grounds. When she emerged from the bushes, she halted with a gasp and covered her mouth; trees were toppled and burned, supplies were scattered across the small clearing, and the tents were broken and ripped, like torn skin and snapped spines. Amy cried out with despair and staggered, stumbling toward the ruins and falling to her knees. There were no bodies, no blood. She doubted that the assaulter would have left any organic evidence behind. She huddled her shoulders together and bowed her head, starting to cry. Her only friends were gone. She could only hope that they'd escaped, but it was unlikely.

The young woman sat there pitying herself and her late companions, eyes burning red and puffy from dehydration. She felt numb, empty. Her jaw twitched feverishly as she struggled to find the strength to sob. But her strength was gone, gone with her only friends, her only family.

Amy knew she shouldn't stay for much longer, but no will urged her. She shook her head and covered her eyes, whimpering. I'm all alone now. _I'm weak. I'm gonna die, just like they did. Stupid. Weak. Idiot. Dumb, dumb, dumb...! I should have been here. I should have helped them!_ Amy's shoulders dipped, and she let her elbows slide in the mud as she collapsed in on herself and kept crying.  _No, I would have gotten in the way. But better me than them! Why? Why!?_

Amy lost her sense of time, grieving as the sun moved overhead. It was eventually covered completely by the darkening clouds, and soon it began to rain again. Amy trembled as she was soaked within seconds. Her sadness turned to anger, and she gripped a clump of grass before uprooting it and hurling it away with a scream.

"STOP TORTURING ME!!!" She screeched at the heavens, "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE, I GET IT!!!" The skies only rumbled softly as it continued to pour. Her fury subsided, and Amy faded back into depression. She whimpered and covered her eyes, and her shoulders shook as she resumed sobbing. This was the worst day to top all worst days...

As she sniffled and tried to wipe the tears from her eyes, she noticed her world suddenly grow darker. With muddy cheeks, Amy looked up to see the giant, the very same one who had taken her to his cave. He was crouched above her, and his eyes held a concerned glisten as he cocked his head and rumbled softly. Amy would have felt frustrated that he had followed her, but she felt the anger sputter and die out like a weak flame in the hard deluge. She sniffed and looked down at his muddy feet.

"Why are you here?" She whispered. Her voice was high with stress. "Everybody else is gone... so why aren't you?" Her lips curled back, and she choked on a sob. "Just leave me alone!" She wailed. The giant whined in question, and as his eyes wandered to survey the damaged remnants of the camp his irises hardened to a sad silver. He whimpered, understanding what happened, and looked down again. The poor girl was huddled up in the mud, grieving from a fresh wound that would take a long time to heal. He went down on his elbows, drawing nearer, and he huffed softly. She didn't flinch, but she didn't care about self-preservation. The giant tilted his head and gently pushed his nose against her shoulder, finally making Amy look up. She sniffled and blinked out more tears as she looked up at the looming giant. He was incredibly close, but his countenance was so kind and sad, woefully sympathetic.

The giant rumbled softly and nudged her again, this time rubbing up against her stomach. Amy fidgeted, but the massive creature was undaunted. He let out a playful growl and repeated, and Amy finally squeaked and squirmed as a smile forcefully jumped across her lips.

"Wh-what- stop it," she giggled. She couldn't laugh, still burdened by grief, but now the giant had his incentive. He gently pushed Amy over and nuzzled her ticklish middle, making her squeal and thrash before she finally gave in. "Stop, no! H-hey! This is serious! Stop, stop! Hey!" As Amy started laughing, she felt the pressure in her chest begin to lift. Her anger relaxed its poisonous grip, and it was then she realized that not all was lost. The giant chuffed along with her laughs, his deep rumbles sounding like heartfelt chuckles as he continued to tickle her, until finally he stopped and let Amy catch her breath. She lay there, heart hammering and breath heavy, and she smiled tiredly up at the face of the creature whom she recognized was just like her: Lonely.

 _He's got the right attitude._ Amy sat up and tried to squeeze the water out of her hair. The giant remained stretched over her, once again shielding her from the rain.  _Maybe they're still out there, somewhere. I gotta have hope, and I hope that wherever they are, they're safe._ She cast her eyes shyly up toward the giant that had taken a strange liking to her, studying him. The mark on his nose was already starting to heal. "Mark..." She murmured to herself. _That's a boy's name, isn't it?_ "Mark?" she tried. The giant responded, looking down at her with a confused light in his eyes. Amy exhaled sharply, and a small grin made its way over her lips.  _I'm not as alone as I think I am. We may be different, but there's much more to this giant than meets the eye. Until then..._

"That's what I'll call you," She told the giant. The giant blinked curiously. "I'll call you Mark," Amy decided.


	3. Stolen

After Amy finally managed to get a hold of her emotions, Mark took her up and weaved between the trees to bring her back home once again. He seemed pretty content with his newly given name, though whether he understood it or not was still yet to actually be seen. Amy didn't care that the giant was pretty much kidnapping her again, as she was far too tired and drained to bother protesting. And she didn't exactly have anywhere else to go...

When they made it back to the cave, the sun was already sinking behind the tree line. Amy felt her stomach growl pitifully, reminding her of the eventful day she didn't spend surviving, but she ignored it and curled up tighter in the giant's hand. She didn't have her appetite anyway. But Mark looked down at her and growled softly, making her glance up at him.

"I'm fine," she mumbled. She put her head down and sighed sadly. "I just want to go to sleep." Mark rumbled and sat down at the back of the cavern. He leaned back and cupped Amy carefully against his chest as he slowly lay down and rested her over his breastbone. Her small feminine figure looked so fragile and skinny, slim from the weight of the rain. Mark gingerly nudged her legs to tuck them closer in, and then lay his huge hands over her and softly embraced her. Amy shivered slightly as his body heat washed over her. She had forgotten how warm the giant was. She felt her muscles relax as his heartbeat enveloped her, and the young girl's eyes slowly closed as she drifted off and away from her troubles.

When Amy woke the next day, it was still early morning. The sun was barely up yet, and nighttime crickets still chirped in the fading hours of darkness. She yawned and stretched, looking up to see Mark still sound asleep. She shivered a little before relaxing. She remembered this time that he wasn't like the other giants, and this time she wasn't afraid of him. But Amy knew deep down that she couldn't stay here. She sat up and repeated her actions from yesterday morning, climbing down the giant and cautiously sneaking out of the cave. She hesitated at the mouth and glanced over her shoulder. In her absence, Mark had rolled over on his side and breathed peacefully, fingers curling where she once lay. She felt a prickle of guilt, that for a second time she was leaving this oddly kind giant to wonder where she'd gone off to.

"I'm sorry," she whispered quietly, "But I need to know what happened. I'm sure I'll see you again... thank you." So she turned and walked out into the woods.

As soon as she made it to the abandoned campsite, Amy began her investigation in the morning light. She scavenged what she could and checked for signs that may tell the story of what went down, but all she could see were footprints and scuffmarks.  _Bandits?_ She wondered. The damage seemed to severe for such a simple explanation. Amy turned to the knocked down trees and examined a stump.  _It's been burned off. How is that possible? It's like someone sliced a hot knife right through the bark!_  She returned to the footprints and noticed that they leaded away from the camp.

"Guess that's my trail then," she grunted. With an adjustment of her slightly charred bag of supplies, she treaded deeper into the vast woods and followed the footprints. There were quite a few of them, which raised Amy's hopes up.  _There had to have been survivors,_ she told herself,  _They had to have survived. They had to!_ The trail led her over hills and across rivers, swerving between massive oaks and dominant elms. The path brought her to a birch forest when the sun hung midway in the sky.

Amy squinted as she studied the ground. The tracks seemed to have disappeared into thin air, and she was trying to retrace her steps to recover her bearings. She climbed on top a fallen log and studied the still wet ground stretched below.  _They have to be here somewhere._  Desperate panic began to seize the young doctor.  _If they outlasted the rain, the trail has to continue somewhere around here!_

"Hello?" She tried calling. "Jack? Signe? Anybody!?" She strained to hear a response, but only the trees answered her with their soft rustling. She sighed and sat down, hopes dampened. _Tyler was right,_  she remembered with a wave of sadness,  _I did end up killing them, didn't I? At the very least, I ruined everything they had. They were just fine before I came along and-_

Amy's train of thought came to a screeching halt when she heard a twig crunch. She tensed and looked around eagerly, hoping for a familiar face. "Hello?" She called. Her newfound strength came crashing down when, instead of a survivor emerging from the brush, she felt a hand clamp down over her mouth, and another hand grab her shoulder. She let out a muffled scream and struggled, but her attacker dragged her off the log and threw her to the ground. Her bag rolled to the side, but before Amy could grab it she was rolled over on her back, and the other person crouched over her and clutched her wrists.

"Hey Jackson!" The man smirked as his eyes studied the healer. "Lookee here what I found!" Amy felt her breath quicken as a second man approached.

"Not bad! Nice catch." The second bandit crouched down and gave Amy a sadistic grin. "You lost little lady?" He sneered. Amy tried to thrash against her captor, but he was too strong for her. Jackson chuckled and let his finger brush her lips. Amy jerked her head and bit down. "Ow!" The bandit pulled his hand away, looking pissed. "You bit me!" He snapped. The first bandit laughed.

"She's feisty, isn't she? Just what I love in a woman." Amy saw the hand coming for her, and she started to scream "No!" when he smothered her mouth. She strained to rip herself away from the bandits, but neither were bothered. The first bandit made sure she kept shut up, while Jackson grabbed her pack and rummaged through the pockets.

"Boeing, boring, boring, already have it." He made a face. "There's nothing in here!" He threw the bag away and turned back to the other two humans. "What's your name, darling?" His accomplice let up his hand just enough for Amy to speak.

"Sc-screw you," she gasped breathlessly, and then the hand came down again, clamping harshly over her jaws. Jackson smirked.

"Well, eager beaver, hun? Don't worry. We plan on taking our sweet time with you." Amy whimpered and tried to kick the bandit off. He moved his leg out of reach and laughed cruelly. She became more frantic the closer they came, and she started screaming again under his suffocating fingers.

"Give it up!" The bandit laughed mockingly. "There's nobody around for miles to hear your-" He fell silent and cocked his head. Jackson did as well, and then both of their eyes widened. Amy fell quiet and stopped struggling when she realized she could feel vibrations in the earth. And she recognized them as footsteps. "Shit!" The bandit hissed. "I thought you said there weren't any giants around!"

"There weren't none!" Jackson protested.

"Fuck. It's probably heard her then." The bandit got up and dragged Amy by the arm. She stumbled and yelped with pain when she landed on her bruised foot awkwardly, but the two thieves ignored her. She felt her muscles give out and go weak, and when she did she heard Jackson mutter something about going unconscious her vision spiraled into darkness.

 

 

 

 

Amy frowned and quietly groaned as she came to. Her head was pounding with a terrible ache, and her ankle didn't feel any better. She shivered and found her tired eyes opening to seek out the warm darkness of the cave, but instead she found herself looking across a large establishment of tents. Bandits clad in browns and greens milled all around her, talking or sharpening their weapons. Amy felt the blood drain from her cheeks.  _This is more bandits than I've ever seen! I've heard about some groups like this, but there's more than twenty of them!_  She tried to move, but quickly found that her wrists were bound and tied to a pole. She wriggled her hands and tried to break free. Straining with all of her might, she still could not snap the ropes. She stopped and tried looking around for something sharp to use.

"What news on the border?" Amy froze and pretended to still be asleep as she overheard two approaching bandits.

"That dumb giant is still hanging around," the other grumbled, "But we made some fake tracks to throw it off."

"Good. We have enough problems without it." Then, "So where'd y'all find her?"

"In the clutch of birches over the hill. Jackson thinks that the giant was hunting her, and that's why it's hanging around here."

"Not for much longer, hopefully." Amy jolted when a sharp foot suddenly kicked her leg. "Hey, wake up!" The bandit commanded. Amy looked up at the two with a nervous glare.

"Oof, someone didn't catch their beauty sleep," the other bandit snickered. Her lower lip quivered as the two crouched down in front of her.

"Wh-what do you want from me?" She asked, trying to sound fierce. They both grinned, easily hearing the quiver in her voice.

"The real question is, what can you do for us?" One chuckled.

"What can you do? Hunt?" The other mused.

"Forage?"

"Cook?"

"Course, there's always the usual, with women being so rare nowadays." Amy felt her guts twist in disgust as he reached out and brushed his hand along her cheek and hair. She jerked her head away, ignoring their mocking chuckles.

"You're going to regret it if you don't let me go," she warned. They both looked at each other and then laughed raucously.

"Oh really? And why is that?" They asked, howling with amusement. Amy sat up a bit straighter.

"My friend can kick all of your butts without breaking a sweat," she threatened. The first bandit scoffed and blew a raspberry, finding her remark hilarious. The other snickered and asked, "And what makes ya think that, lassie?" Amy grinned.

"Because he's a giant." That shut them up. They both stared at her for a few seconds.

"Yeah right," the first chuckled nervously. "Nice try, but there's no such thing as being friends with a giant." Amy simply sat pretty with a smile on her face.

"We'll see," she said sweetly. They both began to sweat nervously and pulled away to demand more scouts. Amy's confidence wavered, and as soon as they were gone she hunched over and sighed.  _Who am I kidding? He's probably gotten tired of me running off by now and given up on me._ Amy blinked and then slowly let her head hang, sighing.  _It was just a bluff..._ She was forced to sit there for a few hours, listening to the vulgar conversations of the men and smell the intangible taste of cooked supper. She licked her dry lips, remembering that it had been a good while since she'd eaten anything.  _I got so wrapped up in looking for the others, I didn't even think about taking care of myself,_  the young doctor realized with dismay. She wanted to slap herself for her stupidity, except her hands were bound.

A moody fog had set in as clouds covered the setting sun. Amy fidgeted uncomfortably, stiff from not moving the past few hours. She still could not come up with an escape plan, and now she was almost too exhausted to even think when she lifted her head up and saw one of the bandits approaching her. She watched warily as he crouched down in front of her and pushed hid hood back.

"My men tell me you were wandering around in the birch forest." Amy paled.  _Great! This is their freaking leader!_ "What were you doing there?" The man asked. Though his voice was gentle, his eyes glittered beadily in their sockets. Amy felt vulnerable, and she brought her aching legs closer to her skinny frame.

"I-I was looking for someone."

"Who?" Amy didn't answer. She didn't like the vibe from this dude at all. She stiffened when the man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head closer. "Who were you looking for?" He hissed. Amy fidgeted.

"N-no one! Just my partner," she managed to gasp out. The man narrowed his eyes.

"You're lying."

"No, no! I'm not-" The bandit leader whipped his hand across her cheek, and Amy fell over on her side with a yelp.

"Who were you looking for!?" He roared. Amy whimpered, cowering on the ground. He raised his hand to slap her again, but before he could an animalistic roar suddenly bellowed from the trees. Shouts from the men rose up, some screams and orders being thrown around desperately as the ground shuddered. Amy lifted her cheek up, recognizing that roar.  _Mark?_

The leader growled and hurried off to see to the commotion. "What the hell is going on!?" He started to demand, but then a giant foot slammed down in his path. He stumbled back with an exclamation, and he looked up to meet a pair of red, furious eyes. The giant bared his teeth at the pesky humans and roared at them, sending the cowards running. He whipped around and stomped on the tents, watching as the bandits fleed from his wrath. He was  _livid_. His chest heaved with labored breaths, and he felt rage coursing through his body as hot as lava. He growled and trained his eyes on the pathetic excuse of a leader, and then he stepped over the men and snatched the guy up by the back of his clothes. The bandit leader yipped and squirmed as he was lifted up to the giant's eye level, and the massive being narrowed his eyes to harsh red slits. He opened his mouth slightly, showing his teeth as he snarled deeply.

"Mark, don't!" The giant's attention immediately pivoted. He turned to see Amy, tied to a pole and dusted over on the ground. His eyes widened, and then he growled at the leader again, connecting the dots. "Don't!" Amy pleaded. Mark's lips twitched as he struggled to hold on to the snarl, but then he finally resorted to roaring right in the dude's face. The leader covered his ears, cowering, until Mark's echoing bellow faded. The giant gave him a hard glare before bending over and setting him back down. With legs like jello, the man staggered away from the giant and fled to join the others.

Amy sighed in relief and watched as the leader escaped unscathed. Her heart beat wildly in her breast, for Mark's behavior had frightened her as well. She watched as the giant turned and walked over to her, red fading back to brown. He crouched and swayed for a second, and then he grabbed the pole and snapped it in half. Amy gasped in relief as she sat up and slid her hands free, and the bonds came undone in her lap. She rubbed her raw wrists and breathed sharply, grateful to be free again.

"Thank you, thank you!" She breathed. Mark rumbled and scooped her up in both hands. He got up, staggered a step, and then turned and left the remnants of the destruction he'd created.


	4. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy tries to make it up to Mark, but she finds herself racing to use her gift of healing in a world of destruction, pain, and loss.

The whole ride home, all Amy could think about was how Mark had saved her. He'd gone out of his way to reach out to her way off in the middle of nowhere, and save her sorry arse. He'd tracked her down, again, and saved her for a second if not third time. She felt lightheaded and numb with relief, but she also felt a heavy heart full of guilt. I should have told him I was going, she thought glumly in his cradling hands. Or at least offered to let him come with. He just saved my life, again! And this is how I repay him? But... but why does he care?

It was once again sundown by the time they made it back to the cave. Mark dragged his feet as he shuffled into the cave, breathing heavily. Amy stirred and opened her eyes, wondering what she should say. She didn't know how to word it exactly, but for starters Amy knew the giant deserved an apology. She cleared her throat and tried speaking.

"... Mark, I-" Her world suddenly tilted, and Amy yelped as the cave seemed to do a flip and hang upside down. There was a great crashing sound, and the human tumbled out of the giant's hands and rolled onto the ground. She groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her ankle. "O-okay, I did deserve that. But-" When she turned around, she stopped midsentence. Mark was collapsed on his side, visibly breathing as his mouth hung open for air. His eyes were half closed, and his skin was paler than its usual bronze. Amy hesitated, wondering just how tired the giant was.

"... M-Mark...?" She approached the giant and touched his arm, only to pull away with a gasp. He's burning up! She hobbled up to his forehead and checked his temperature. It was way hotter than it should have been. Amy let out a horrified murmur and circled around the giant, wondering what was wrong. "Mark? Buddy? What's wrong? Tell me-tell me what's wrong!" She pleaded. She knew the giant couldn't speak, but he could show her what was wrong.

Which he did. In his heavy delirium, Mark let out a hoarse whimper and scratched at his upturned flank. Amy ran onto his hand, and without hesitation she climbed up his arm and scrambled across his collar bone. She perched on his broad shoulder to look down, and her eyes widened.

"A harpoon?" She gasped. Those were rare to come by! The long black stick of metal was embedded in the giant's side, just under the ribs. At the sight of a harpoon, Amy would have once felt relief or some sort of security, but now she could only feel horror draining the blood from her head. She stumbled across Mark's ribs and examined the wound. It was a nasty injury. The prong went deep, and Amy could hear how ragged Mark's breath was now as his diaphragm heaved under her.

"Oh, Mark," Amy whimpered. She felt tears burning her eyes again as she gripped the fabric surface. "I'm so sorry, I'm so-I'm so sorry, you shouldn't have wasted your time on me." Amy squeezed her eyes shut and gripped his shirt. "I'm not worth it!" She cried, "And now you're hurt and it's all my fault!" She felt the anxiety gripping her chest again, but this time she swallowed it down. Her tears didn't fall. Her brow furrowed in determination, and she let her eyes skim over the harpoon.

"I'm not letting you die too." She got up and slid down Mark's back. The giant let out a weak whine as she walked to the cave entrance, but this time she turned around. "Don't move," she ordered, "Just sit tight, I'll be right back... I promise." Despite her hurting ankle, she ran with as much strength as she could summon and pelted through the forest. She made her way back to the abandoned camp, and then she looked up at the sun and tried to gauge a location. Though there was nothing left at camp, Amy remembered something Tyler had told her about.

 

 

 

"If something does ever attack our camp," he had said, walking with her through the forest, "Then you need to run."

"Because I can't fight, I know," Amy had said miserably. Tyler stopped and looked over at her.

"Maybe not hand-to-hand. But you fight to save lives, not take them." Amy blinked up at him. "If something does happen," he'd continued, "Then I want you to know about it. Thirty degrees clockwise off the eastern sun, there's a cache under a barren tree. Its bark is a silvery look, so you'll recognize it. There's a whole medkit: bandages, antiseptic, and even an energy bar and blanket."

"Wh-why are you telling me this?" He had leaned closer and gently touched her shoulder.

"Because I'd hate to see something happen to you," he murmured. He'd pulled her in for a hug, which astounded Amy. She didn't know what to do. What happened to his stoicness, the "stone face"? She watched as Tyler pulled away and even managed to smile a little. "I know I'm harsh on you, but... well, it's just because you're such a kind person," he admitted, "I'm afraid that if something bad happened, then you would get heartbroken. Not everyone in this world is as kind as you, especially since those knuckleheads built that damn android that started this all. I'm just trying to toughen you up. Get it?" Amy sniffled and nodded. "But that doesn't mean I don't admire your innocence." Tyler gripped her shoulder. "Don't let anyone ever take that from you... but be careful, okay? Use your kindness for something good."

 

 

 

Amy hurried Southeast, away from the setting sun as its weak rays glinted through the leaves. She ran out onto a tussock and spied a grey tree with no leaves and twisting branches. There it is! She climbed her way up the hill and reached the roots of the old tree, and began digging. Come on, come on, please don't let someone else have needed it...! Dirt got under her nails and stained her pale hands as she pulled frantically at the soil. Her heart jumped up her throat when she hit something with a dull thud, and she wiped dust back to see a metal handle.

"Oh thank god!" She excavated the metal thing and uprooted it. Dust covered the medkit, but it still looked kind of new. Amy wiped the dirt off and turned it over, opening it. Inside was treasure: Two fresh rolls of gauze, an almost full bottle of antiseptic, a needle and bottle of medicine protected by a sealed bag, sterilized, an emergency blanket, a liter of water, and not one but three energy bars. She felt a little light headed, but she reminded herself that she was on a time limit and closed the medkit. I gotta get this to Mark. She turned and stumbled back down the hill, hurrying through the cross country until she found the clearing leading into the cave. She entered, heavy breath echoing off the walls.

"Mark?" The giant had slumped on his back, with his arms loosely folded over his chest as he weakly shivered. He let out a weak purr as she approached, and Amy felt her heart clench at how bad he sounded. "Don't worry, I'm gonna fix you up, okay?" She walked up to his side and set the medkit down. "Just like the cut on your nose, remember?" Mark rumbled distantly, but he didn't protest. And so, Amy knelt down, opened the kit, and set to work.

The first order of business was getting the harpoon out. She tested how much gauze was available and eyeballed a good measurement. She ripped off a large section and then got the antiseptic ready, but then before she pulled away her hand hovered over the needle bag. "..." She hesitated, and then grabbed it.

"This will help numb the pain." She took the needle out and checked one more time that it was sanitary, and then she put the fluid in and put her hand on Mark's arm. The giant stirred at her touch, clearly weak. Amy took a nervous breath, and then she plunged the needle through his skin. He flinched, jerking the needle out of her hand as he snarled in pain. Amy yipped and managed to push on the syringe, injecting the medicine directly into his vein. He recoiled away from her, growling and groaning as the effects eventually took over. He slumped, blinked, and then his head lolled from side to side as he started to get woozy. Amy shushed him and took the needle out, dropping it so that she could put both hands on his.

"It's gonna be okay, Mark," she murmured, "I'm going to help you, like you helped me." Mark rumbled softly and slowly closed his heavy eyes, and finally his head tilted so that his cheek rested on the cool ground. He went still. Amy listened to his breathing, and then she nodded to herself and hurried back to the precious supplies. Okay good, he's out now, but with his size it won't be for very long. Just need to get this stupid thing out, and then patch him up. I hope I can stop the bleeding. She eyed the harpoon and tested its stubbornness. It's in really deep. Amy made double sure the medkit was open and ready, and then she took a deep breath before getting a firm grip on the metal.

"Okay," she breathed, "Three, two, one!" She pushed with all her might, and with a clean shnk! the weapon slid out. Blood gushed from the wound in a small crimson wave as the blade exited. Amy tossed the harpoon away with disgust and grabbed the needle from the syringe, removing it. She quickly tied a string from the bottom of the kit to one end and stuck the needle through the torn flesh, and she weaved her way across the edges while her feet kept the skin pushed together. She sewed up the wound as best as she could, but still the wound bled, and now came the second part. Amy reached again and grabbed the clod of wrappings. She spread it out over the wound and covered the gaping hole. It was quickly stained a wine red, but Amy was persistent and pushed the skin together to close the injury, and then she patted the gauzes firmly over and hoped that they would hold long enough. She reached into the medkit with a bloodied hand and fished out the antiseptic. She scooted on top of the bandages to apply her entire weight, trying to apply pressure to stop the bleeding.

She didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, the young doctor felt the bleeding come to a complete stop, and Mark was still breathing. She very carefully rolled off and peeled the gauze back, and after removing the lid she sprinkled the antiseptic on the wound to make sure it didn't get infected. The wound fizzed angrily, foaming pink.

"Sorry," Amy muttered, "I know it hurts, but I'm on limited supplies, and you can't afford getting an infection." She cleaned up the wound and covered it with the cleaner side of the wrappings, and then she put the tools back in the box and snapped it shut. Grabbing the medkit, Amy backed up onto Mark's hip to see over the giant's muscular bulk and get a good look at him. He looks better already. He lost a lot of blood, but I think he's going to make it. Amy smiled at the giant's kind and relaxed countenance. It was almost impossible already to think that just a couple of days ago she had been terrified to even look this huge man in the eye, yet now she stood on him, covered in his blood while her own system raced from the adrenaline rushing through her veins.

She sighed as her legs wobbled, and she took a seat on the Mark's chest. Now to play the waiting game...


End file.
